Author David Wheeler to discuss wildlife and outdoor experiences at D&R Greenway

“Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State” author David Wheeler.

Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State author David Wheeler will share tales of his year-long wildlife tour of New Jersey to discover bats, bobcats and other creatures—as well as reveal wildlife and outdoor activities the public can enjoy—at D&R Greenway Land Trust on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Wheeler will recount how he kayaked through the Meadowlands, panned for cretaceous fossils in a hidden brook once home to mastodons and giant sloths, rode a fishing boat in the frigid snows of winter on a quest for Atlantic puffins, and trudged through the eerie darkness of a bog on a mysterious night hike.

New Jersey is the most ecologically diverse state for its size, with mountains, valleys, beaches, pine barrens, caves, rivers, marshlands and breathtaking landscapes, providing habitat for a Noah’s Ark of creatures.

“I look forward to talking about our state’s incredible range of wildlife, some of the great options for experiencing them and how people can make a difference through nature conservation,” Wheeler said.

Wheeler is also the executive director of Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey, a nonprofit conservation organization that protects imperiled wildlife through science, education and public engagement. He wrote the 2011 book Wild New Jersey: Nature Adventures in the Garden State, which details a year spent exploring New Jersey’s great outdoors and incredible wildlife.

“Far from its stereotypes, New Jersey offers an unparalleled outdoor bounty for people of all ages to explore, from its stunning range of wildlife to its active outdoor adventures in diverse habitats,” Wheeler said. “Yet in today’s modern society, many of us are disconnected from nature and the world around us, to the detriment of our health, minds and spirits. Together let’s explore New Jersey’s rich biodiversity, while learning more about the exciting opportunities to get outdoors and connect with the natural world around us.”

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